“Unlearning and Relearning”: Adolescent Students’ Perspectives on Transitioning to a New Teacher and Environment

Abstract

Throughout the learning process, it is common for students to transition to a new teacher, whether they relocate, decide to change teachers, or study at a summer program. During this transition, students must adapt to a potentially different pedagogical philosophy, language, and performance expectations. Using a multiple case study research design, we explored the perceptions of four adolescent violin students who experienced this transitional process while studying with Mimi Zweig at the four-week Indiana University Summer String Academy. We analyzed the interview data, observations, and external data sources through the lens of attribution theory. Results indicated that the participants not only acquired greater self-efficacy and motivation after studying with a new teacher but also endured performance anxiety. These findings inform studio instrumental instructors of the challenges students experience when studying with a new teacher and the physiological and emotional challenges that often accompany change.